Spreader for pipe-wrapping machines



Feb. 10,1931.

' A. A. CHAMBERS 7 ,793

SPREADER PIPE WRAPPING MACHINES- I Filed Sept. 18, 1929 t .i," I V I, Iii H a: HIM 'I k z9 25 L 24 1&5 m .w/ 1 J5] Ii] 1 I m I l I I INVENTOR.

. Y 2%; mflar 3/ l' I a? ATTORNEYS:

Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED rats;

ALFRED ALLEN CHAIMBERS, OF CHICAGO,

ATNT orrics ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL PAINT .CORPORATION, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF NEVADA I SPREADER non PIPE-WRAPPING MACHINES Application filed September 18,1929. Serial No. 393,565.

My present invention relates to a new and useful tool for use in connection with a plpe wrapping machine, and more particularly to a tool for separating lengths of pipe as 7 they are discharged from such a machine.

The object of my invention is to provide a new, novel, effective and simple device for use in connection with pipe wrapping machines which may be, conveniently applled to the pipes as they ar-e discharged from" the pipe wrapping machine to facilitate a separation thereof.

In the operation of wrapping and/or coating of pipes such as are used in the distribution of gas, oil, and the like, one method of. which is disclosed in the W'ieland et a-l. Patent No. 1,572,258, there is usually employed a pipe connecting device which serves to hold the successive lengths of pipe together as they are fed through the machine. A coupling device suitable for use in this manner is illustrated and disclosed in a copending application by David W. Boylan, Herman Kramer, and Emile Jansen, 5 as joint inventors, entitled Coupling for I pipe wrappin machine Serial No. 391,7 58,

filed Sept. 11, 1929.

In the above application the coupling members consist of two members upon which there are arranged interlocking or splined. connections. These coupling membersnor I mally operate to holdadjacent lengths of pipe together as the pipe is passed through the machine. I

-10 member between the ends of'the lengths of pipe and which will-operate, when so applied, to effect an axial displacement be tween the lengths of pipe.

. A further feature of my invention is thatof pipe without damage to the wrapping which has been applied.

thereof.

For the purpose of facilitating a separation of the pipes when connected together in the manner above outlined, I propose to provide a means which may be brought. into contact with the two halves of the coupling For a better understanding of my invention, reference should be had to theaccompanying drawing wherein Ihave shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment In these drawings Fig. 1 1s a fragmentary, perspectivevlew showing my improved dev ce 1n its pipe separating position, I

Fig. 2 1s a fragmentary view, partially in section, showing a pipe coupling adapted to use with my invention,

Fig. 3 is a detailed plan view, partially in section, showing the details of construe tion of my improved device, andv Fig. 4 1s-a view in elevation of the device shown in Fig. 3.

In the drawing, the numerals 10 andllr designate portions of two lengths of pipe which are secured together so that they will travel endwise and rotate in unison. V In Fig. 1 these two lengths of pipe 10 and 11 are shown as supported at their adjacent ends pon suitable dollies 12 which ;may travel freely along a pair of spaced rails13 as the pipe is discharged from the pipe treating machine. The dollies 12 are illustrated as having suitable flanged Wheels14 which retain them upon the rails 13 and'at the'top of the dollies there is provided on'each, a pair ofspaced rollers 15upon which the lengths of pipe rest,-th e rollers 15 permitting the pipe to be turned upon what might betermed a roller support. r

The pipes 10 and 11, as previously suggested, are connected together by means of a suitable coupling member, one type of which is disclosed in the before-mentioned co-pending application and, for the purpose of simplifying this explanation, I have shown in Fig. 2 a coupling member of the type contemplated in one embodiment of the L11 are shown as having coupling members 16 and 17 respectively, secured-in their ends.

These coupling members16 and 17 are provvidedwith suitable interlockingtongues or projections which, it will be understood, operate to hold thetwo members in col-operative relation so that when one pipe is moved axially or rotated, the other pipe will be moved in a corresponding manner. The members 16 and 17 are adapted to project into the ends of the lengths of pipe and have suitable radially extending set screws 18, by means of which they maybe secured in a fixed'manner into the end of the pipes. In this figure of the drawing, it will be noted that the members 16 and 17 are provided respectively with raised annular flanges 19 and 20 and that these two flanges are spaced a slight distance back from the abutting surfaces of the coupling members 16 and 17 so a's'to provide an annular groove 21 about the coupling memers. V

By referring back to Fig. 1 of the drawing, itwill'be seen that the pipes are disposed upon the dollies 12 so that the coupling members, with the groove 21, are located therebetween. Adjacent the pointof travel of the pipes 10 and 11, there is shown a suitable horizontally extendin support 22. This support 22 carries a member 23 which is adapted to 'slide freely therealong. Pivoted to the member 23 there is shown a lever 24: which extends outwardly from the support 22 and over the path of travel of the pipes 10 and 11. The lever 24 is shown as forked at the point 25 so as to receivea disc-like member 26. The dis'clike member 26 is journaled at its center upon the forked portions 25 of the lever 24 so that it mayrotate freely thereupon as it is rotated by reason of contact with the rotating pipes 10 and ll. It will benoted in this figure of the drawing that the disc-like member '26 is composed of two discs disposed at an angle to each other so that the distance between their outer edges will vary between oppositely disposed points thereupon,

It is desired to point out at this time that the particular construction of the disc member 26 illustrated here in the drawing is not to be taken in a limiting sense, as it will be readily appreciated thatjthis member might be inadein asingle pieceand, in fact, it needi not necessarily be in the form of a complete disc, as the operation as contemplated by the disc can 'well' be performed by 'arcuate' member of any angular length, so long as the "circumferential distance offthe member at the point where it contacts with the coupling members 16 and-'17 is 'of a length sufficient 'to' spread the pipes when it is rolled into con tact with the coupling members and in'the groove al. It is contemplated that the disc 26 will be somewhat larger than the diameter of the pipes beingspread. It is believed that where the distance between the narrowest point on the dis'c and the'thic'l're'st pointo'n the disc is equal to the circumference about? the pipe cou lings, it will operate in the most satisfactory rna'nne'r. These considerations,

however, will depend largely upon the type of coupling members used and I, therefore, do not by the above intend to limit my disclosure to a construction embodying the above dimensions.

For a more detailed construction of the particular type of disc illustrated, reference should be had to Figs. 3 and t of the drawin wherein the disc-shaped member 26 is shown as composed of two circular members '27 and 28. These circular members 27 and these figures of the drawing thatthe forked portion 25 is pivoted upon the member 23 so that it may swing to the right or left and,

result, after the disc member 26 has rotated a distance sufficient to spread the pipes, the operator may, by an additional swinging movementof the disc, separate the pipes to any extent in excess of that accomplished by the point; of largest thickness of the disc.

- It is believed that the operation of my im proved pipe separating device will be readily understood from the above, but in order that there may be no misunderstanding, the operation is as follows:

I After the pipes have progressed through the pipe wrapping machine upon the dollies,

as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, to a point adjacent the disc-like member 26, the latter member will be brought into engagement with the groove 21 formed by the coupling members by means of the lever 2a. The operator will then bear down upon the lever 24 and in this manner the disc-like member 26 will be caused to rotate with the pipes 10 and 11 as they arerotated. This will cause the'disc-like member 26 to function sdinewh'at in the manner of a wedge and thus cause the coupling members 16 and 17 together with their lengths of pipe 10 and 11 to be separated to a point where they may be then handled independently of each other.

WVhile I have shownthe preferred form of my-in'vention as now known to me, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appendedcla'ims.

faces disposed at an'angle and adapted to be projected between'the mee'ting ends of the rotating bodies to be separated and rotate in contacttherewith so as to effect an axial displacement of the bodies as they rotate.

2. In a device for separating temporarily connected rotating cylindrical bodies, the

combination of a freely rotatable disc having an edge of varying thickness, and means for placing said disc at its point of thinest thickness between said rotating bodies whereby, as the latter rotate, said disc will rotate to bring its point of greatest thickness betweenv said rotating bodies and thereby displace them axially. v

3. A pipe spreading device of the character described comprising a support, a member slidably mounted upon said support, a lever pivotally mounted upon said slidable member, and means upon said lever adapted to cooperate with a pair of connected lengths of rotating pipe to separate them.

4. In a pipe spreading device of the character described, a support, a'pair of discs mounted for rotation uponsaid support, said discs being disposed at an angle with respect to each other and adapted to effect a wedging action when rotated between the ends of two lengths of pipe.

5. In the art of pipe wrapping wherein lengths of pipe are fed in a continuous manner through a wrapping machine with a temporary connection therebetween, the combination of means for supporting the lengths of pipe-so that they may be freely rotated, a support extending parallel with said M lengths of pipe, a lever mounted upon said support adapted to move therealong to a point adjacent the joint between said lengths of pipe, and a rotatable disc having a rim of non-uniform width adapted to be placed between said lengths of pipe and displace them axially as it is rotated thereby.

ALFRED ALLEN CHAMBERS. 

